Signaling apparatus



Aug. 23, 1927.

.,W. G. LAMB A SIGNALING APPARATUS Filed April 27, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig. 1.

Inventor. WL'ZZzLam G.Lamb, y

@QQ-Aya Atorney.

w. G. LAMB SIGNALING APPARATUS l med April 27. 192s 2 sheets-sheet 2 A u. 2s, 1927. 1,640,130

.fnz/verzor, William G Lczmb. by

Patented ug. 23, 1927.

vunI'ri-:D STATESg l 1,640,130 PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM G. LAMB, OF WATERLOO, IOWA, ASSIGNOR TO NATIONAL SAFETY DEVICES COMPANY, OF WATERLOO, IOWA.

SIGNALING APPARATUS.

Application led April 27, 19126.l VSerial No. 104,944.

My invention relates `to signaling apparatus, and the object of my improvement is to combine with such apparatus, a controller therefore having means for regulating a succession of signals to be produced by certain mechanisms thereof, and which means are l also capable of operation alternatively in the voluntary production of a single or unregulated succession of signals, and which furthermore may be releasably locked in'a certainposition of continuous signaling when desired.

The above object I have accomplished by the vmeans which are hereinafter described and claimed, and which are illustrated in the accompanyingv drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic elevation of a Whistle signaling apparatus showing my improved controller associated therewith, parts being removed lor broken away. Figs. 2 to 7 are detail views on larger scales of different devices of said apparatus. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of mechanism of the combination whose function is to ell'ect automatically a series of predetermined intermittent actua-A tions reactively, of the signal. Fig. 3 is a vertical medial transverse section thereof with parts removed. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the devices shown in -said Fig. 2. 141g. 5 is a. vertical central section of the operating valve device for actuating the intermittently performing mechanisms of Figs. 2 to 4. F ig'. 6 is a vertical central section of the differential valve device for controlling the communication-s of a bell motor malle part of the signaling circuits, and

. Fig. 7 is a vertical central transverse sectien of the rack quadrant controller of the apparatus.

Specifically, my invention herein constitutes an improvement upon the apparatus of Il. l. lVoodring, disclosed in Patent No. 1,600,527, `and upon my ownV previous application for patent, Serial No..100,656.

The automatic intermittently performing mechanism of the apparatus is :the same as shown in said applications, operative to cause automatically a regulated succession of varying length signals as from a locomotive whistle, and will therefore be but briefly described.

rlhe numeral 7 denotes asignal actuator adapted to be driven by means of compressed air or other fluid under pressure. It comprises a closed end'cylin'der, containing a packed plunger or imperforate piston 11 having a stem 6 protruding through an apertured bearing in one cylinder-head. The outer end of said stemb has a link connection 5 with a free end of a terminally pivoted arm 4 which may swing in one direction to press in a valve-stem 3 in a control valve contained in a chamber 2 of .a Whistle l.

The piston l1 is resiliently reactively controlled by a coiled compression-spring 12 mounted between it and the adjacent cylinder-head. The opposite centrally apertured ycylinder-head 10 seats abored plungerstem 20 Whose bore 2l occasionally effects communication between theinner chamber 18 and the atmosphere. This chamber 18 is Within a hollow part 9 which is removably mounted in the end of the cylinder 7 with its inner apertured end plugged at 14. In the part 9 opposite the plug y14 is a bearing opening 4for said stem 20 which'has Within the chamber 18 -a valve-head 19 kept yieldingly upon its seat by a spring l5. An inter-space between the part 9 and the cylinder-head 10 communicates by Way of a by-pass 16 vwith the medial chamber 13 of the cylinder. The part 9 has an inlet-port- 17 communicating .between the chamber 18 and a conduit 102-100 having a controlvalve 9 8 with a `communication 97 to a conduit in communication With a source of fluid supply under pressure but notl shown.

lhe middle interspace of the cylinder T at 13 has a port which is in communication with a conduit 83, and the latter communicates with the upper' end of a differential valve .chamber 84 whose larger upper chamber A88 contains an imperforate piston V85 of greater diameter than a valvehead 91 seated lira lower chamberupon a compression-.spring 92 which keeps it yieldingly seated, .the va-lves being connected by a stem 90 slidably fitted in la lInedial chamber89, with .the lower part of the stem narrowed above the valvehead 91 to communicate with av lateral port .-86 controlled by a loc ball check-valve 87. The port y,8.6 communipressure. lVhile the valvular device 84 forms an adjunct to the whistle signaling apparatus, it will be no further referred toa being designed to control a bell motor not shown. Y

rlhe cylinder 7 is pivot-ally suspended from a hanger coupling 8 fixed upon any convenient support. The cylinder is integral with a casting which also includes a low-er cylinder 74:7 an intermediate springiel 22, and a rear dash-pot chamber 48 shown in detail. A rotatable shaft 23 if; cent-rally mounted in the spring-barrel 22 and a coiled spiral spring 24 is end contfed between said shaft and the inner of the springbarrel. eferring to lTg. 2, a discoidal face-plate il is mounted loosely upon the outer end of the shaft 23 and has its circumferential edge .gut away at 30 vto provide a pair of like wide detents 23 succeeded by a pair of like narrower detents 29. A member is linedly mounted upon the outer end of the shaft 23 and has a radial projection supplied ter- ,ninally with a threaded pin which can be releasably inserted in any of an arcuate row of sockets in the plate 27 to connect them in a desired relative position of adjustment to properly tension the spring 2a. Upon a lined bracket is mounted a rock-shaft 36 having a fixed depending arm 35. .At 33 upon the lower part of said arm is pivotally mounted one end of a linger 32 whose movement downwardly is limited by a shoulder 34 on said arm 35. A small roller 31 is pivoted on the free end of the finger 32 and is in the path of movements to and fro of the detents 26 and 29.

A short upright arm 37 is fixed on the rock-shaft 36 and contains a threaded con tact-pin 38 in an apertured seat in its upper part which is alined with the reciprocable stem 20 in the cylinder-head l0 of the upper cylinder 7. Referring to Figs. 4l and l, the numeral 42 denotes an apertured bearing bracket to support an end of the shaft 367 and the numeral 39 denotes a sleeve which is loosely mounted on the shaft between the bracket part- 42' and a sleeve fixed on the rock-shaft which carries said arm 37. One end of the sleeve 39 is recessed at i0 through an arc of its circumference to be traversed by a lined stud 4:1 project-ing from the rockshaft 36, which permits the stud to travel in said recess limitedly before engaging the sleeve to rock it with the shaft.

Y Upon the loose sleeve 39 is fixed an upwardly projecting arm 43. A. connectingrod 63 is pivoted at its opposite ends to and between the upper end of the arm i3 and the forward end of a curved arm 4:5, the rod 63 being continued beyond the arm 45 to be connected pivotally to one member of a bell-crank lever 107. rlhe numeral i7 denotes an operating-valve yfor an imper- AThe outer end of the stein is pivoted at 7 8 to one end of a pitman 25, whose opposite end is pivoted at- 26 to the face-plate 27 a port 3l which is in communication with a delivery-port 6l of the valvular device 4-7 by way of a short conduit 73. rlhe opposite inlet-port 62 of the valvular device is in communication by way of a conduit 10i with the conduits and 97 95 supplying` fiuid under pressure.

The. body of he valvular device e7 contains upper and lower chambers 54 and 59 with a communicating passage 57. A plunger stem 56 in the chamber 5l traverses said passage 57 slidably with its spaced wingsI and has a valve-head 58 closing the lower end of the passage and controlled by a spring 60 in the chamber 59. Above and vertically alined4 with the stem 56 is an axially bored body with medial annular flange engaged by a compression spring in the chamber 54 to yielding'ly keep the body in its upper position with the upper end of its bore 53 in communication with the atmosphere. The upper end of the bore opens at the side -of the upper diminished part of the body 52, and the upper end of the latter .is below and in the path of downward rocking movement of a pressure linger or cam member 46 pivoted at 5l to an arched element 50 fixed upon the body a7. rlhe member .t6 is continued upwardly by said rock-arm 4:5, whose upper end is pivoted to the connecting-rod 63 64. A fixed stop 44 limits the swinging of the arm 43.

Referring to Figs. l and 7 the numeral 106 denotes a link between the lower member of the bell-crank lever 107 and thelowcr member of another bell-crank lever 105. The numeral 65 denotes the base o-f inten spaced rack quadrant members 66, of whichl one member has a medial notch 72 and nearv one end another notch 72, A hand lever 68 is mounted pivotally between the members 66 onu a pintle 67 and has a lateral projection over the notched men'iber 66 which contains a downwardly opening; socket 70 in which is seated a coiled compression springe' 69 and a detent body 7l which is by the pushing of the spring kept in contact with the quadrant and to be propelled yieldingly into either'notch thereof. A connecting-rod 104- is connected between the lever 66 and the upper member of thebell-crank levez- 105. A bar spring 103 is fixed atone end on the base 65 and bears at theupper end against edge of the lever 68 tendine' to yieldingly propel it toward the medial notch 72 when first. unseated andk then released.

The opposite end 'of the cylinder 7a has i and links to the cam-arm 45-46. In detail operation the' said signals are produced as follows. Y

`By means ol lthe linkages above described,

the arm 13 is rocked to one side Without rocking the rock-shaft 36, because of the loose pin and slot connections at 40 and 41. The arm 45 is yalso simultaneously rocked on its `pi'ntle to cause the cam '46 to press downwardly the body '52 yin `*the valvular device 4:7, closing fthe lateral opening of 'its bore from 'the atmosphere. The upper spring 54 is compressed while the body 52 contacts with and presses down the valveste'rn 56 to open the valve 58, so that fluid under pressure passes lfrom the port 62 by way of the inner passage v57 Aand-chamber 55 to the outlet-#port V61, the conduit 73 and port 81 into the lower ycylinder 7 4- to shift the plunger vwhile compressing the spring 76. The 4plunger-stern moves outwardly, and 'by means of its pintle I78 shifts a linkarm which is pivoted at 26 to 'the rockabie face-'plate 27, Eto rock the latter up` y wardly, the detents 28 and 29 swinging the arm 32 idly upwardly without swingingthe arm 35. The shaft 23 is thus rocked in a direction Ito tension the coiled yspring 24 in the spring-barrel 22. At thismoment, as the engineer releasesthe operating lever 68, and the lever returns to its medial vertical position, jthe connections return the camarm Y4:3416 to allow the Zsprings 60 and 54 in "the valvular device 47 to react, whereby the valve 58 is closed and the body 52 is liited to separate `from the valve-stem 56 while the upper end of the bore 53 is again opened r'to the atmosphere. Residual fluid under :presure in the device 47, the conduit 7 3 and the cylinder 74 is exhausted through f the bore 53, so that the spring 76 Vin said cylinder may rreturn byvreacting, and thus the spring 24 in the spring-barrel 22 is permitted "to'also react. "to rock back the faceplate 27. In rocking back the detents 28 and 29 in succession impinge upon the roller 31 of the arm 32, and swing the latter over together with the arm 35 by the arm 32 engaging the stop projection 34. on'the arm This rocks the rock-shaft 36 and swings the upper arm 37 to cause the contact body 38 to push the slidable body 20 into the upper cylinder 7 closing the outer end of the bore Q1, opening the valve-'head while tensioning the spring 15, while .allowing fluid under pressure to pass from the port 17 from the conduits 102, 1.00, by way of the valve-chamber 98 and conduits 97 and 95 to the supply. The fluid passes .the valvehead and by way of .the by-,pass 16 to the middle chamber 13,.pushing out the plunger and stem 'l1-6, while compressing ithe spring 12. The linkages to the whistle valve device then sound the whistle.

When vthe Vlresidual .iluidl in the device 47 and the cylinder 7 4 Vis exhausted, the springs in both react, closing the passages of the device 47, `and returning the .plunger--in the said cylinder rocking the .face-plate 27 as above described, and at the return ot' the lat-terthe released arms 32 and 351are swung back by the reaction of the spring 15 pressing :out the `body 20, the residual air inthe chamber 13 of the cylinder 7 exhausting through the bore 21, and the spring 12 then reacting to return the plunger 11. This completes the cycle of automatic signals.

.F or convenience of the engineer, I have supplied in combination with the above described apparatus, means whereby the whistle fmay be ysounded at will Without operating the automatic mechanisms. This consists 'of the rack quadrant 66 `and its hand lever 68 as resiliently controlled, releasably held, and as linked to both the automatic mechanisms and to the loperating valvular device 47 to lactuate the 'mechanisms of the upper cylinder 7 independently either for one or more actuations of the whistle, or to actuate the whistle continuously in case of need.

It will be seen, that when the engineer swings the hand lever 68 yoppositely to the direction required `to operate the automatic signals, the valvular device 47 is not operated, `andl the shaft 136 not rocked, because of the loose pin and slot connectionat 40 and 41, but 'the reversed direction of rocking of the `arm 37 lwith itscontact body 38 pushes in the body 20, so fthat in the manner above described, vthe 'mechanisms of the cylinder 7 are actuated to cause a single blast. of the Whistle 1, Aand this `may be ree peated atjwill, after each return ot the vlever 68.

In case a long continued whistle blast is required, at la time when the attention of the engineer must be vgiven to some "other duty, he may pull over the lever 68 until its detent 71 engages with the. farther notch 7 2a, and thereupon the whistle will continuously blow 'until the detent is released by the forcible swinging back of the lever 68, as the rounded detent will ride out of the rounded notch 7 2a on the application of reasonable forceapplied to the lever. My improvement, therefore, consists in adding to the combination of automatic and voluntary signaling means, of the further function of permitting a continued blast of the whistle by releasably locking the levell 68 in the position for operating only the mechanisms of the upper cylinder 7 so that the engineer may relinquish the lever while attending to some other duty of si-` multaneous necessity and importance.

rThis control apparatus may be assembled very coinpactly according to a desired installation, and therefore may be mounted immediately adjacent to the controller of an electric car or the throttle-lever of a steam locomotive. f

The linkages shown in Figs. l and 2 which connect the lever ('38 to the recit-arm 3T, may be if'ai'ied in any desired way, without departfng from the invent-ion, and also any other suitable mechanical equivalents may be substituted for the lever 68 and rack quadrant in performing the same functions, y

without departing from this invention.

lt is also obvious, that said control appa ratus may be associated with any species of signaling operating means, wit-houtthe coinbination of other or automatic assemblages of mechanisms for producing predetermined series of signals, and yet contain the essence of this invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

l. ln an apparatus of the character de-l scribed, a signaling device, mechanism for actuating said signaling device ,with a predetermined series of actuations, said mechanism including limitedly movable coupled parts entrained between but unconnected with associated elements of the mechanism, an operating valve device also included in said mechanism, a quadrant having a medial notch and a notch near one end only, a lever pivoted abutting said quadrant having a controllable `iiiovable detent adapted to ride upon th-e quadrant to engage either notch,

and connections between said lever and a movable part of the valve device and between the lever and one ofsaid movably coupled parts, permitting the lever to be swung in one direction along the quadrant toward the end thereof having no notch to move the last-mentioned coupled part idly while simultaneously shifting said valve device art to actuate the valve and with it said mechanism for producing a series of signals .by

incaricov said valve device part while simultaneously moving said coupledparts to actuate a portion of said mechanism between them and the signaling device to operate the latter to' produce a single signal, and in the latter movement of the lever when the detent thereof is engaged with the endnotchof the quadrant, to produce a single signal by the signaling device of indefinite length..

2. In an apparatus of the character described, a signaling device, mechanism for actuating said signaling device with a predetermined series of actuations, said mechanism including limitedly movable coupled parts entrained between but unconnected with associated elements of the mechanism, an operating valve device also included in said mechanism, a quadrant having a medial notch and a notch near one end only, a lever pivoted abutting said quadrant having a resiliently controlled detent mounted niovably thereon adapted to ride upon the quadrant to engage either notch, resilient means connected to said lever adapted to be placed under tension when the lever is moved in eitnei' direction away from said medial notch, and

connections between said lever and a mov-4 able part of the valve device and between the lever and one of said movably coupled parts, permitting the lever to be swung in one direction along the `quadrant to the end thereof having no notch to move the lastmentionedV coupled part idly while simultaneously shifting said valve device part tov actuate the valve and with it said mechanism for producing a series of signals by the signaling device, the lever when swung to the opposite part of the quadrant beyond the medial notch causing idle movement of said valve device part while simultaneously moving said coup-led parts to actuate a portion of said mechanism between them and the signaling device to operate the latter to produce a single signal, and in the latter movement of the lever when the detent thereof is engaged with the end notch of the quadrant, to produce a single signal by th-e signaling device of indefinite duration.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

WILLIAM G. LAMB. 

